For Day 1, I have chosen to write using theme 7 and it is on a topic closest to my heart – 7 ways to make your child fall in love with books and reading.

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A child is never too young to be introduced to books

For babies, there are board books and cloth books available which do not get damaged or torn with rough handling. Then there are “Touch and Feel” books to expose babies to different textures and patterns. For toddlers and preschoolers, one can begin read-aloud sessions with the books of their interests. For my car and truck crazy son, I began with books about cars and trucks and then graduated him to books on other means of transportation, dinosaurs and other animals.

The first five years of a child’s life are crucial for development

Start by reading aloud to them for about 20 minutes everyday, preferably at a fixed time when both you and the child are in a relaxed state. Ask questions and discuss the story, the characters and the illustrations with the child.

Do not decline requests for repeated reading of a book

If your child repeatedly asks you to read the same book to him or her, always oblige. Do not suggest a new book if the child wants the same old book to be read. We may feel that it is getting monotonous but the child is learning something new from it with each reading. You can infuse a bit of creativity by reading the dialogues of the characters in different voice pitches each time. One may also be surprised how many different interpretations a child can come up with every time the same book is read.

Support the child’s early literacy needs

Support the child’s early literacy needs by making them join phonics classes which lay emphasis on sound recognition and blending letter sounds for reading words instead of the traditional “look, memorize and read” method. The techniques adopted in such classes comprise of learning through audio/visual techniques, fun games and related activities. It is about making learning fun.

Role of Bookstores and Libraries

While buying books online is great, especially for the discounts, make it a point to visit bookstores with your children once in a while so that they are surrounded by books and in the midst of other book lovers. Get a library membership for your child and visit it regularly with him. Let your child choose the books himself.

Exposure to literary activities

Take your child to storytelling sessions and literary activities organised by bookstores or libraries. Subscribe to book-lists to discover relevant reads for their age group and reading levels. There are many online communities which offer such book-lists.

Be a role model and keep reading aloud

Children learn their early life lessons by emulating their parents. So be a worthy role model to them. If your child sees you reading often and enjoying it, she will start to think of it as a pleasurable experience.

Continue reading aloud to your children even after they start reading independently as children love the relaxed and cozy feeling of their parents reading to them. This keeps their interest in reading alive.

These 7 points were first published as a part of my article ‘Here’s how you can get your child to enjoy reading’ in the Complete Wellbeing magazine. You can read the full article here.

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21 comments

In a Crossword bookstore I recently visited, there was this tiny midget (sorry, kids) reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! I almost leaped for joy and hugged the kiddo, because 1. The kiddo has advanced to the 2nd book of my favourite series 2. He’s reading at an early age! More over, he seemed totally engrossed in his reading, and didn’t even look up when I passed him. I really felt happy at that time knowing that there are parents who encourage reading at an early age, and I feel this post will be super beneficial to them. Will share this!

I love reading and have a huge collection too, but my little one has never shown or even interested in reading at all. Have tried various books, colourful, animated, flashy but none. She likes collecting but not reading 😉 probably got the weird genes from her Dad…
Loved the tips mentioned in the post.. will try your way to get her near books.

Happy to read your post on raising a young reader. We too have a huge collection of books. We aim to set up our home library that consists of some 1000 books including Mithu’s collection. Happy reading Anamika and Dhruv !!!

Good tips to get them started. Being a book lover, we have used some of them to help my son enjoy reading. I have a photo of him turning the pages of a book when he could hardly even sit up by himself(around 6 months).

Very valid points raised in this informative post, Anamika. I read the post earlier too and think the more we share it the better for those who are still unsure how to inculcate reading into a child’s daily routine. Good Luck to you for the #Barathon! Look forward to your posts as I always do. 🙂

I am sometimes surprised by the prowess of kids these days in devouring books. Indeed, with proper nurturing if their habit they can become avid readers. Loved all your points. They sound like a great opportunity for parents to spend time with their kids.